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FROM GENESIS TO SUSTAINABILITY: A JEWISH MANDATE TO PROTECT LIFE ON EARTH.
May
by Steven Mandel MD
Why should Jewish men’s clubs care about environmental sustainability?
Protecting the land reflects core values of stewardship, responsibility, and preserving creations for future generations.
This includes bal taschit ( do not waste or destroy), shomrei adamah( guardians of the earth), and Sabbatical year ( Shimita), emphasizing caring for forests, soil, wildlife and natural resources, protect threatened species, and prevent invasive species introduction.
The FJMC Shomreri Ha’aretz/ Environmental Programs mission statement is to promote environmental stewardship, through education, sustainable practices, and community action grounded in Torah and Jewish values. Initiatives as helping clubs and organizations include recycling, conservation, gardening, cleanups and sustainable synagogue practices.
The Masorti Environmental Sustainability Initiative is a movement wide commitment launched to help Conservative Masorti Institutions, prioritize environmental action, green their operation, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Key movement priorities and initiatives is partnerships with Adamah-led coalitions, FJMC International and the Rabbinical Assembly.
Adamah’s mission is to cultivate vibrant Jewish life in deep connection with the earth, catalyzing culture through immersive experiences< Jewish environmental education =, leadership, development and climate action. Synagogues can host Adamah events, as both the FJMC and Adamah work along denominational lines and emphasize value driven Jewish life.
The Sustainable Development Goal (UN SDG 15) goal is to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainability managed forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. By maintaining ecosystems by providing essential services, we reduce the negative effects of food insecurity, nutrition, access to water, health of the rural poor, and people worldwide.
Eastern Europeans Jewish Cemeteries Initiative works to prevent vandalism and misuse Jewish cemeteries. There are more than 10,00 known Jewish burial sites in Europe.
Challenges to environmental sustainability include poverty eradication, reducing inequalities, decent job creation, high debt distress, global price shocks, rising living costs, climate crisis, rising living costs, food insecurity, wealth infrastructure, lack of modern tools, manufacturing, mechanization and digital platforms, and unemployment.
Forests, Mountains and Land Degradation.
We need to protect, restore, and promote terrestrial ecosystems, sustainable desertification, hold and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss. We need to prepare for natural disasters, floods, droughts, landslides, dust storms, and other environmental events. Mountains contain vital forests, fresh water sources, biodiversity and habitats that support ecosystems, climate regulation, and millions of people livelihood, Land degradation damages lands, reduces soil fertility, low food production, weakens ecosystems, that people and wildlife depend upon.
The Shmita concept recognizes that even the land itself requires renewal and protection from exploitation. It reminds us what we built today, but by the world we preserve for our children and future generations. But in the seventh year the land should have a complete rest ( Leviticus 20:19)
The FJMC and the SDS 15, connects naturally with Jewish values, as being stewardships of the earth and the responsibility to protect and repair the world ( tikkun olam).
It is our multigenerational responsibility, as fathers, grandfathers, mentors and community leaders, to inspire younger generations to see environmental stewardship as both a moral and spiritual responsibility. Simple acts such as environmental education, tree planting, reducing waste and partnering with youth and interfaith organizations on ecological issues, preserves creation, not only for us but future generations.
The earth we protect today will become the legacy for which we are remembered tomorrow.
Written by Steven Mandel MD
VP Outreach and Engagement of the NY Metro FJMC
UN NGO Representative FJMC International
ACOEM Fellow
6/01/2026